Acts 2:44
What exactly does this scripture mean to you?
How does it apply to our christian way of living today?
What exactly does this scripture mean to you?
How does it apply to our christian way of living today?
Acts 2:44
- Thread starter Triumph1300
- Start date
-
Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.
You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
They accounted their worldly goods as being for the common purpose of the testimony.
(It does not refer to some ecclesiastical committee which controls all individuals' property and is arbitrarily accountable to no one.)
Look around your church.
Are you willing to share your pension provision or this months pay packet with everyone here?
Ask yourself are they willing to do the same with you and the other church members?
They loved greatly, sadly this love did not last, I have no doubt that the basic selfishness of man spiled it and the jelousy of outsiders helpped to end it.
Are you willing to share your pension provision or this months pay packet with everyone here?
Ask yourself are they willing to do the same with you and the other church members?
They loved greatly, sadly this love did not last, I have no doubt that the basic selfishness of man spiled it and the jelousy of outsiders helpped to end it.
One can be motivated to cooperation and generosity without setting up a controlling committee over people's lives and property...
Well....isn't that the problem????
Should that be changed?
Would that be a good move?
(I believe a large amount of churches don't follow the Book of Acts in many ways)
If it always doesn't, there's still no excuse for arbitrary, controlling committees...
We will know we have become true disciples when the church looks like it did in Acts 2. Otherwise we have the status quo...superficiality.
Acts 2:44 NIV
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Acts 2:44 GNT
All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another.
Acts 2:44 NLT
And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.
When my church first started up we all lived like that. When we went to the gathering on a Sunday we could end up at anybody's home for lunch or have somebody back to ours. People shared what they had with everybody else and we were given money when we needed it and also a car and it happened all the time to others as well. People gave us holidays and paid for us to go to the Bible Week as at the time my husband had been out of work for three years. It was small enough for us get to know a lot of people. And it is the nearest to the template in Acts that I have ever known although I'm sure there must be many such churches dotted around. It would be wonderful if we could go back to that but sadly that was then . . . .
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Acts 2:44 GNT
All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another.
Acts 2:44 NLT
And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.
When my church first started up we all lived like that. When we went to the gathering on a Sunday we could end up at anybody's home for lunch or have somebody back to ours. People shared what they had with everybody else and we were given money when we needed it and also a car and it happened all the time to others as well. People gave us holidays and paid for us to go to the Bible Week as at the time my husband had been out of work for three years. It was small enough for us get to know a lot of people. And it is the nearest to the template in Acts that I have ever known although I'm sure there must be many such churches dotted around. It would be wonderful if we could go back to that but sadly that was then . . . .
What do you mean by the church?
If it is the building and people who meet in it week by week there are both problems and the answers to the worlds problems are there.
ScottA
Well-Known Member
- Feb 24, 2011
- 11,744
- 5,597
- 113
- Faith
- Christian
- Country
- United States
Acts 2:44
"Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,"
Just as the spirit being poured out at Pentecost was only an image or small example of the fulfillment of the greater prophecy by Joel, so too was that act of one accord spoken of here.
Both were an image and a foreshadowing of the fulfillment we have in Christ--not for any one generation or any one time during the church age, but rather an accumulation over all generations unto the end. As such, it only "applies to our Christian way of living today" in the same small way.
It means exactly what it says. Groups like the Hutterites and the Amish practice this. Most other Christians do not. But ideally this is what God approves of.
Everybody here probably know what "church" stands for:
The Followers of Christ.
(Born again believers, filled with the Holy Ghost)
Helen
Well-Known Member
- Oct 22, 2011
- 15,476
- 21,157
- 113
- Faith
- Christian
- Country
- Canada
Just seen this thread..
I haven't read any other posts so I don't know if anyone else has already said this ...but...
I would say that we CANNOT by "changing something or making a rule"
cause in any church that which is not first in the heart.
It is a first a heart thing, a grace thing... The Church in Acts were on fire and sold out to God first, and to each other. ...and today ??????
Can't remember how much I have shared on here, but I know I have shared some of our 'early days' with the Lord.
Here we are in Canada we left England to move here in 1975
We came to move into community living and sharing everything.
We had been married 14 years in 75 and had two children...we sold and gave away EVERYTHING... we arrived here with two suit cases each..and $600 to show for Emigration , (which I had borrowed from my uncle and would return as soon as we arrived here and got through the process safely...we had nothing )
Long story short...we hit the wall within a year. We found just what you ask here...
Man put his hand on it...the LIFE and heart was sucked out of it...they started organizing everyone , telling us what we can do think, believe, and buy..and when.
Fortunately hubby and I were invited here as part of the leadership of the community that we were in, 80 people in all.
We were in elders meetings until 2am many nights.
My husband is quieter than I and more controlled. Id end up yelling at some of the other elders who were draining the joy, spontaneity and giving heart out of the people. Giving and sharing from the heart was not now by love for God and for each other, but by rules, and regulations from the eldership.
We gave it our best , but after a year we said NO MORE...my parting words were..."You can have it, your God is not my God, and this is not what I left England for. "
After that, back in Edmonton we had 5 community homes in 17 years..we never lived by ourselves , we always had other brothers and sisters living with us... Community living is wonderful ..IF it is led by the Holy Spirit with no dictation by flesh.
But, here we are now been in Canada 44 yrs old now and just Dave and I and the old dog.
Although challenging on so many fronts, our 18 years of community living we the happiest of our lives. I have no regrets at all..except for the stupidity of man who thinks he can play God in other believers lives. We saw it big time. But, God showed us so many wonderful things , some painful things , we also had some faithful leadership who did not pull punches and shot from the hip... I'd go away and cry...but agree with God that they were right..I needed a hard word at the time. I grew up.
It starts in the heart ..and stays alive in the heart....or its just another dead work of the flesh.
Got a bit side tracked here...but I say IF you can do it without man killing and draining the life out of it ..go for it... but forget rules ....
- Organizing , telling people what to do, and rules for people lives removes the heart and love ...and things turn bitter.
Last edited:
Helen
Well-Known Member
- Oct 22, 2011
- 15,476
- 21,157
- 113
- Faith
- Christian
- Country
- Canada
AMEN...that is the only way...or it will die very quickly on the Vine...
- been there seen that,...
Good post, Grace.
Reason I started this thread is because I visited a coffee shop for lunch in Chilliwack BC which is operated by
a Christian group who are living together on a piece of property.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Twelve Tribes is a confederation of twelve self-governing tribes, composed of self-governing communities. We are disciples of the Son of God whose name in Hebrew is Yahshua. We follow the pattern of the early church in Acts 2:44 and 4:32, truly believing everything that is written in the Old and New Covenants of the Bible, and sharing all things in common."
Yellow Deli in Chilliwack, BC:
The Twelve Tribes | Our Life and Beliefs
The Twelve Tribes |
Reason I started this thread is because I visited a coffee shop for lunch in Chilliwack BC which is operated by
a Christian group who are living together on a piece of property.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The Twelve Tribes is a confederation of twelve self-governing tribes, composed of self-governing communities. We are disciples of the Son of God whose name in Hebrew is Yahshua. We follow the pattern of the early church in Acts 2:44 and 4:32, truly believing everything that is written in the Old and New Covenants of the Bible, and sharing all things in common."
Yellow Deli in Chilliwack, BC:
The Twelve Tribes | Our Life and Beliefs
The Twelve Tribes |
Last edited:
Yes! I also lived in community on more than one occasion....about 6 years all told. You are so right. Anytime man is mixed with Jesus Christ...it becomes man instead of Jesus Christ.
There is TOO much mixture. And even if people are not yet spiritual you would think there could be a LITTLE humility and fear of the Lord. But the training and discipling today of most believers is non-existent. Pastors tend to cater to the flesh nowadays. That makes it very difficult to be more than just a fleshly self-seeking entity masquerading as church.
But I must say that there is a lot to learn in order to BE the church of God. Especially in leadership. As soon as you come off the cross...things are going to go sideways...if you are in leadership. I learned that the hard way....thinking I could help God.
But it is HIS church...not ours. It is hands off. Leadership is there to show the way by example...not by forcing the issue.
God bless you Helen. I'm so happy you have a positive report on community in the Spirit...even though humanity finds the actual practice very difficult.
Similar threads
